He allegedly played his victims like a violin and stole $300,000 worth of violins before robbing a bank, all to support his gambling addiction.
Federal prosecutors said Mark Meng, 57, posed as a serious collector and targeted businesses across the United States to carry out the plan to steal five antique instruments.
Among the high-end instruments was an 1823 Lorenzo Ventapane violin valued at $175,000 alone.
Meng allegedly “gained the trust of these stores by presenting himself as a collector and, in some cases, purchased violin bows before requesting violin trial periods,” according to the complaint obtained by DailyMail.com.
The FBI was already investigating the Irvine, California, man for the robberies when he allegedly decided to rob a bank on April 2, authorities said.
Prosecutors said Meng robbed a U.S. bank branch in Irvine on April 2 and approached the teller with a note that said, “$18,000.” Withdraw. Please. Keep it up! There is no damage. Thank you.’
Mark Meng, 57, could face a maximum sentence of 20 years in federal prison if convicted of wire fraud and theft.
Surveillance footage allegedly shows Meng robbing a U.S. bank branch on Barranca Parkway in Irvine, according to police.
Irvine police released surveillance footage from inside the bank that showed a man in a costume nervously pushing a note to the teller.
The man in the surveillance video, later identified as Meng, was wearing a bandana covering his face, blue medical gloves and a dark T-shirt with the “United States” emblem on the chest.
Prosecutors said the teller noticed that the robber “appeared to be shaking and nervous when he handed him the note.”
When she told him she didn’t have the $18,000 he wanted, Meng allegedly told her, ‘Give me whatever you have!’
The teller then handed a wad of bills to the robber, who ran out of the bank and drove away in a white Toyota Sienna minivan.
Investigators who served a search warrant at Meng’s Irvine home said they found several pieces of evidence linking him to the robbery, including the United States jersey.
Prosecutors said Meng got away with a total of $446 during the April 2 robbery.
However, they also claim that Meng already knew that the FBI was investigating him for wire fraud, according to the criminal complaint.
The 57-year-old Irvine man was also allegedly caught running out of the bank and getting into a white minivan, which detectives later connected to Meng.
Investigators said that between August 2020 and April 2023, Meng hatched a scheme to steal several high-end violins.
The alleged scammer traveled to Virginia in January 2023 and found a violin collector who owned two rare violins: the 1823 Loranzo Ventapane and a 1903 Giulio Degani, valued at $175,000 and $55,000 respectively.
Meng also said he would buy three bows for $5,000 and needed to take the two violins for a “trial” period. He negotiated a price of $235,234 and sent a check to the store dated March 5, 2023.
When the check bounced, Meng allegedly stopped answering the store owner’s calls.
Prosecutors allege that Mark Meng’s violin scheme ran from August 2020 to April 2023.
Meng allegedly promoted himself as a collector and told owners of rare violin shops that he needed to take the instruments for a trial period to decide if he wanted to make the purchase.
Meng then resold the Degani violin to a dealer in Los Angeles, who paid $16,000, according to the complaint.
As in the other scheme, he also allegedly “borrowed” and resold three more violins and bows and never returned them to collectors.
He is accused of stealing a Caressa & Bernardel violin, dated 1870 and valued at $60,000, and another from 1913 valued at $40,000.
Investigators said Meng used checks that were processed with servers located outside California.
Agents interviewed Meng’s roommates, who said the 57-year-old “liked to play,” while his wife spent half the year in California and the other half in China.
Agents also interviewed a woman who identified herself as Meng’s girlfriend, who said she had to co-sign to purchase the truck because “he didn’t have good credit.”
Meng told detectives that on April 2, the day of the bank robbery, he went to Starbucks, Harrah’s casino and Costco.
Mark Meng also posed as a businessman and introduced himself as CEO of an Irvine-based company.
Irvine police arrested Meng on April 11. He could face a maximum sentence of 20 years in federal prison if he is convicted of wire fraud and theft, according to the U.S. Attorney’s Office.
Meng not only posed as a legitimate dealer and collector of fine instruments.
He listed himself as chief executive officer, secretary and chief financial officer of a corporation called Alton Global Holdings, according to documents obtained by DailyMail.com.
Meng listed her Irvine home as the headquarters for this company, which was suspended by the Franchise Tax Board as of last month.
Federal prosecutors filed a request on May 7 asking the judge to keep the alleged debt collection scammer behind bars because they believe he is a “flight risk.”
He will remain locked up at least until his next hearing, which has not yet been scheduled.